


Right Behind You

by mr_anguis



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, RED Spy-centric, RED and BLU Scouts are brothers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-01-06 07:33:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18383858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mr_anguis/pseuds/mr_anguis
Summary: Only one person terrifies members of both teams.The RED Spy.





	1. Prologue: He's always behind us

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the video "[Meet The Spy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR4N5OhcY9s&t)" and the soundtrack "[Right Behind You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciL7OKWSu10)".

The BLU Heavy sits awkwardly in a tiny chair, looking around the small, empty room and waiting for the interviewer to come. It isn't their first survey, but, still, it isn't common for them to skip the whole day to answer some questions.

Finally, the interviewer enters the room and takes a seat across the Heavy, adjusting the papers in her hands. She looks up at the man after some seconds and smiles, taking a pen.

"I hope you already know why you're here. Got some questions for you. Don't worry, it's all confidential. So, the first question is..."

 

After some time, which was spent talking about his teammates and another team, the interviewer pushes the papers aside and seriously looks him in the eye.

"The last question. Who on the other team scares you the most?"

It'd be a lie if the Heavy said he wasn't taken aback by such a question. He? Scared? He's almost immortal (at least on the battlefield), so why--...

"Okay, let me paraphrase my question. Who makes you feel uncomfortable?" the interviewer hastens to add, seeing the Heavy's face. "And we're not talking about Pyro."

The BLU Heavy looks down at the table between them, deep in thought. After some seconds, the frown appears on his face, and the Heavy opens this mouth as if ready to speak, but instead of that he suddenly looks around the room one more time, checking if they're alone. Satisfied by the view of the empty room, he looks at the interviewer and leans closer, making sure no one will hear them. "Spy. The RED Spy."

"Spy?" she repeats, but judging by her face, she waits for the explanation.

"Да," he says. "Always kills Doctor when I need him. Sometimes kills me after killing my Doctor. Never fights as true man face-to-face, but always kills from behind as some coward," the interviewer couldn't miss the Heavy's another glance at the room behind him, as if he's waiting for the Spy to appear and stab him in the back in this very room.

 

"Who makes me feel uncomfortable, right?" the BLU Engineer repeats the interviewer's question and looks up at her, narrowing his eyes behind the goggles. "I thought _you_ 're the one who knows the answer better than everyone else outside this room, ain't ya, girl? Of course, it is that backstabbing snake, who else? You know how many times he's killed me, how many times he's sapped my _precious sentry_! Oh, don't ya worry, one day I'll make sure my sentry will find that turncoat no matter what, no matter how hard he tries to hide! I wanna see his face when one day he comes fully cloaked, but my sentry gun kills him even before he can get closer!"

 

"Murr hurr mphuphurrur, hurr mph phrr!" the BLU Pyro angrily say, while standing up and placing both their hands on the table, as if they want to look intimidating. "Mmmphya harrgh mrgha hrghgph!" But, no matter how irritated and furious they were a few seconds ago, right now they slowly sink back in the chair, while their voice becomes quieter and quieter. "Mmphn frphha herrpha..." In the end, the Pyro place their face in their hands and start mumbling something quietly. Wait. Was it a sob?

 

"That's such an easy question, lad. Only that bloody backstabber cannot face me in the man fightin'! Well, we ain't talkin' about that campy weasel, 'cause I almost never see him on the battlefield, too... But, at least, Sniper doesn't try to look like yer teammate, so he could kill ye in the end! Argh, I can still feel that knife in my back..." The BLU Demoman leans back in his chair, groaning at the memory of the previous match.

 

"Do you actually need an answer, miss? That crouton has two problems: he's not from America and he has no idea what to do in the _real_ war! That maggot doesn't know how to use a _real_ weapon against _real_ men! But I know why he never faces us! Because all people from France are the same, miss," the BLU Soldier harshly taps at the table after his every word. the interviewer doesn't need to look under his helmet so she could see his eyes, no — she knows the Soldier tries to hide his nervousness by looking irritated and angry. "And do you know the color of the French flag? White!"

 

"I zought you already know all of ze answers," the BLU Medic raises a brow, looking at the interviewer. "Do I actually have to answer zis vone?"

"I'm afraid, yes."

"Ach, schön," the Medic mutters, glancing away for a second. "Ze RED Spy. That schweinhund never knows vhen to stop. He always attacks in ze most inappropriate moment! And ze problem is I can never notice him coming! And zat makes _everyvone_ paranoid because no one knows vhere he is, but everyvone waits for his attack. Oh, I still remember my first day on ze battlefield! Next day the vhole team vas a mess. Even if it isn't the first day of our contracts, some of us still vaits for his attack in zis very room."

 

"That bloody RED Spy. I can't tell that _our_ Spook is better, but... At least he's not killin' me like the other one. The RED Spy _always_ knows where to find me and he's the only one who _finds_ and kills me at the spot. And no matter how hard I try to see him comin', that bloody weasel _always_ manages to sneak up without a sound or _anythin'_ ," the BLU Sniper places his aviators on the table and tiredly rubs his eyes as if the only thought about the enemy Spy exhausts him. "Not even a smell, ya understand? I saw the RED Spook smokin', I could smell his cologne outside the battlefield, but _nothin'_ durin' the match. But ya know how happy I am when I manage to shot him. Even he can't see every headshot comin'!"

 

"Me? Scared? Or _uncomfortable_? Ey, don't make me laugh!" the BLU Scout grins widely, without taking his eyes off the interviewer, and leans on the table, closing the distance between them. "Did ya _actually_ think-..."

"Scout, I need you to be more serious. I need your answer," she interrupts the Scout, unimpressed by his words or actions.

"So _you need me_. How can I say 'no' ta that? Maybe I still have somethin' to tell ya," the boy's grin widens, and the Scout winks at the interviewer as if taking the girl's reddening ears as an invitation.

" _Scout_ ," she repeats.

"Yeah, yeah," the boy leans back in his chair and crosses his hand on his chest. "So, who makes me feel uncomfortable? Well, maybe...that shapeshiftin' rat. You know, the RED Spy," the grin disappears from his face.

"Does the photos discovered by your Spy-..."

It takes literally a second for the BLU Scout to stand up and make his way to the door. "Ey, Miss Pauling, look at the time! Don't ya have a lot of work to do? And ya still have a lot of people to ask questions, don't ya? So how can I waste yer precious time, hah? See ya next time!" Before the interviewer could say anything, the boy was outside the room.

 

"I believe you know what my answer is," the BLU Spy looks up at the girl in front of him, looking as calm and collected as always. "And I can assume what the others' answers are. The RED Spy. And, to my displeasure, I cannot say that he's unprofessional or amateur; he's the good, I dare even say the _perfect_ example of the spy. He can be nowhere, but for us, he's everywhere. And _he's always behind us_."


	2. Chapter 1: First kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The RED Spy's first kill on the battlefield.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure no one needs an update, but I did it anyway. 
> 
> Check my [tumblr](https://mr-anguis.tumblr.com/)!

Another day. The same members of the same opposing teams still fight against each other with the same goal. It feels like nothing has changed since their first appearance on the battlefield.

RED Spy, just as always, smoothly and slowly crosses the battleground, keeping an eye on the nearest enemies and picking his next victim. And this time... Oh, and this time it's going to be the BLU Medic, which one is paired with the BLU Heavy. Smirking to himself, Spy checks his knife and approaches the Medic from behind, raising his hand to backstab the German.

And again, this very situation reminds him of the first day of their little war: the BLU Medic's been his first victim on this field. Spy remembers that day as if it'd been not years, but a few minutes ago.

 

First day. It takes him three minutes to understand that it's all going to be the living hell. Blood, flying people and their separately flying body parts are everywhere; sounds of explosions, battle cries, yells and screams are deafening; one wrong step — and you'll be dead, even if no one wants to kill you and no one even _knows_ about your presence or existence. RED Spy is sure nobody on the battlefield has any idea what they all are doing, but somehow they still manage to kill each other. He can't even assume how many day or maybe weeks anyone will be able to spend in such madness because even he — the killer, the mercenary, _the RED Spy_ — doesn't know how long he will be able to keep his sanity (and, by the way, he thought he was a tough person).

But that's enough. RED Spy is here to kill people, not to get killed, but it looks like he's going to die in any second if he stands in one place even a little longer — the cloak isn't useful when bombs, rockets and bullets are _everywhere_. It's time to show them the real, professional kill.

Spy checks his butterfly knife and comes closer to the battle itself, making sure to avoid any bullets and studying every person he sees. According to the information he has, both teams are the same so it means RED Spy has two problems, or, at least, two people on the other team are going to make his life harder: the BLU Spy and the BLU Sniper. At this very moment, he can't see them both, which means the Sniper's already found the sniping spot, so Spy has to deal with him a bit later. And about the BLU Spy... Well, it's practically impossible for them to run into each other, so the enemy Spy won't be a problem. 

So, who's going to be his first target? It'll be reckless to try backstabbing the Heavy, the Soldier, the Demoman or the Pyro: they never stay in one place, and the Medic is always behind them, trying to heal everyone he can... Oh. The BLU Medic. Of course. From what he sees, right now the Medic lacks teamwork and coordination, trying to heal everyone, but not actually helping. Yes, some classes can work perfectly by themselves — like the Spies or the Snipers —, but for the Medic, the lack of cooperation is a critical mistake. And Spy is going to use this opportunity — especially when the BLU Medic has no idea what is going to happen. 

Spy approaches his target, making sure no one pays attention to them so he can flee unspotted after his cloak disappears. Satisfied by an empty field behind them, Spy comes even closer, raising his hand for a backstab. Well, it won't be an actual backstab — part of the Medic's medigun (an amazing device, by the way — it heals any wounds in a few _seconds_ ) securely covers the most part of his back, making a backstab impossible. 

But RED Spy wouldn't be on this very field if he didn't know _different_ ways to kill a person. 

The blade of the knife accurately hits the spot between the skull and the neck, immediately killing the BLU Medic. Spy takes some steps back, wiping the blood off the knife and checking his surroundings, ready to use the cloak in any second. Just as he thought, the BLU team haven't noticed the death of their te-...

 

The shot was fired. That's the last thing RED Spy registers before he appears at the respawn with slight dizziness and nausea.

Such a...strange experience.

So he was killed. Judging by the sound of the shot, the only person who could kill him is the BLU Sniper. He isn't just attentive — the Sniper's been ready for RED Spy's appearance on the battlefield and hasn't wasted any time, killing him almost immediately after Spy's cloak disappeared. Yes, the BLU Sniper is definitely going to be his next target.

 

RED Spy shakes his head. Unnecessary memory in such an important moment, which one, of course, _has_ to bring back that slight sinking feeling in his stomach; yes, Spy can easily kill people (and he even likes this process), but that doesn't mean he likes when anyone kills _him_. And if he doesn't want to repeat his death, he has to pay more attention. Ugh, that's why he doesn't like any personal memories.

One more glance toward the closest sniping spot (Spy can't see the BLU Sniper, but that isn't the only place where the bushman can be), one more step toward the BLU Medic. Well, maybe, something _has_ changed. These days the German's cooperative and fighting skills are much better than before; he manages to heal not everyone but definitely the person who is able to bring their team closer to victory; in the same time, if he has time and opportunity, he helps everyone. This time, he is paired with the BLU Heavy, helping his Russian partner to stay as long as possible on the field and kill as many people as possible.

But, just as before, the Medic doesn't pay much attention to his surroundings, becoming an easy target to Spy. The knife rises in the air only to sink into the German's neck, killing the man on the spot without even giving a chance to realize what happened. The BLU Heavy hasn't even noticed that his Doctor's just disappea-...

RED Spy quickly takes some steps back, just to see the bullet flying inches from his face. Oh, the Sniper is still on guard, which isn't much surprising — Spy's known the BLU Sniper for _years_ so he knows his opponent very, very well.

Fully cloaked, Spy sends another glance towards already disappearing body of the BLU Medic and takes off to the known sniping spot, still paying attention to people around him.

 

Seems like RED Spy already knows his next target.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...the first chapter (because the previous one was some kind of prologue). It's still not the real story, but it'll take some time to get here...  
> Chapters aren't long, but I'll try to change it in the near future.


	3. Chapter 2: "Howdy, pardner!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no one reads this, but i update it anyway.  
> why? i have no idea.

Just look at him. It takes the BLU Heavy a bunch of bullets in his gut and a 'sudden' lack of healing to understand that _something_ is wrong. 

Already bleeding to death, the Heavy tries to hide from enemy fire and looks around the field, searching for the BLU Medic. "Doctor!" he calls, not able to see the German. Oh, just listen to him: the Heavy sounds so demanding, so displeased as if the Medic is his pet and has no right to heal anyone except the Heavy.

"Doctor!" the Heavy says again. But wait: it's still not his favorite part. One second... And another one... Ah, here it is.

The BLU Heavy finally notices the blood on the ground. The red stain isn't big, but that's enough to understand _what_ happened here a few minutes ago. Several emotions appear on the Russian's face: bewilderment, realization, terror. Excellent, the Heavy doesn't show his fear often. Especially if it is caused by the awareness of his own mortality.

RED Spy wonders if the BLU Heavy has too much faith in the Medic or he just doesn't care about the German; maybe both. The Heavy almost always forces the Medic to follow him, sometimes not giving the latter a chance to help their teammates or to take health kit for himself: it feels like the BLU Heavy occasionally forgets he's not alone on the battlefield and he's not the only one who needs healing at times. The BLU Medic usually listens to him (it's not a bad strategy, after all), but sometimes it becomes the cause of quarrels between them. It's not like the German can say 'no' to the Heavy, but, still, RED Spy doesn't get the idea why someone calls these two 'close friends'.

But enough thinking: the match hasn't finished. The BLU Heavy (surprisingly, he's a clever man) has already figured out who _exactlly_ killed the Medic and has started looking around, this time trying to find RED Spy. If Spy was ready to leave the BLU be, then now he won't refuse such an opportunity. The Heavy revvings up Sasha, ready to shoot, and leans back against the wall, making sure to avoid sudden backstab. Ah, good luck with that, _fat man_.

RED Spy takes out his knife and approaches the Russian from the left. And again, this very situation reminds him of the past days. Spy wasn't able to kill the BLU Heavy the first day (not that he was looking for it): the Russian is always in the middle of the action. so his sudden death will attract unwanted attention even if the kill is possible. But that doesn't mean Spy doesn't kill the Heavy if he can: he has his chance when the Russian runs out of ammunition and has to go to Dispenser or Resupply lockers. Usually, he does it alone, so Spy can easily stab the man and send him to the Respawn.

But this time is a little different. The BLU Heavy is ready for the attack; his position makes the backstab impossible. One wrong step — and Sasha will kill him on the spot. But why complicate things? It's not like RED Spy has only one way to kill people: his Revolver is still with him. Spy changes the weapon in his hands, uncloaks for a second and shoots in the BLU Heavy's head; the latter has too little health and even less time to react and defend himself.

"Have you forgotten about your precious sandwich, fatty?" says RED Spy to the dead body on the ground, smirking: the look of pure disbelief and _terror_ in now glazed eyes only makes Spy's day better. 

Spy checks his watch and looks up, already cloaking. He can't help but notice the BLU Sniper's inaction: the first shot had missed him, and the second one has been never fired. Did someone take him down? No, that's highly unlikely. The Sniper knows the best and the most unusual sniping spots: even he, _RED Spy_ , sometimes has problems with finding or getting to the Sniper's nest. Has the Aussie pissed off any of Spy's teammates? No, he'd have heard them barking about it. Friendly fire? It's still improbable: the BLU Sniper isn't the person who ticks off the others, mostly his own teammates. And again, the Sniper's not very sociable to quarrel with anyone. 

So that means the BLU Sniper has his _own_ problems. He can be just distracted or--...

 

"Mrph!" the BLU Pyro runs to this part of the battlefield — they must have heard the shot (this is one of the reasons why Spy prefers knives, not guns) and now they are surely going to check the area. 

Just as RED Spy thought, the Pyro look around and notice the disappearing body of their teammate. They look around one more time, but now more careful. Not satisfied with an empty view, the BLU Pyro use their Flamethrower, running across this area in circles and intending to catch the enemy. 

"Nice try, mush-mouthed freak," whispers RED Spy, already standing behind his opponent and placing the blade of his knife into the Pyro's back. Without even a chance to react, they collapse to the ground and don't move anymore. Good, it was fast: there's no way Spy wants to be set on fire _again_.

Spy puts his knife in the pocket and takes out the disguise kit, waiting for the BLU Sniper's shot, which, just as the second one, doesn't come. The Sniper doesn't change his sniping nest often, but even if it happened, the Aussie would still be able to see this part of the field. And he isn't the one who doesn't pay attention to the battle. 

Yes, RED Spy is definitely going to check on the Sniper. But, judging by his teammates' yells like "Sentry ahead!" and following them shots and cries of pain, Spy has got something else to do right now. 

 

The BLU Pyro (RED Spy as the Pyro, to be precise) run to the sentry nest and spot the Dispenser and the Sentry Gun itself. Since there's no one to be seen, Spy comes closer to the Turret, ready to take out the Sapper and use--... 

"Ah, nice to see ya, mumbles. So what was that?" the BLU Engineer says with a warm smile on his face, coming around a corner and approaching Spy-as-Pyro. _Of course_ , the Engineer would never leave his precious Sentry unless he was killed. 

"Ooh defd vhodief! RHED Fpy anfd ourh Hefy!" Spy answers, doing his best in imitating the BLU's Pyro speech — and this task isn't as easy as it may seem. Some people may think the Pyro (both of them, in fact) mumble some nonsense all the time, but, actually, they can speak as well as, for example, the Scout can. Yes, sometimes the Pyro sound so childish, but that's not the problem — at least, not for the Engineer, who can almost perfectly understand their speech. Spy is sure it's one of the reasons why the Pyro spends most of their time in the Texan's company: isn't it nice when someone not just listens to you, but understands you and can make the conversation? 

"Heavy down, huh..." says the BLU Engineer thoughtfully, looking away for a second. "That's not good if we actually want to keep this point. Be ready to defend, boy."

"Mrph!" Spy-as-Pyro straightens up and salutes the BLU. In fact, the Pyro's speech isn't the most difficult part when Spy disguised as them: it's much harder to copy their behavior or even stance. And why, you ask? The Pyro are always unpredictable; their plan of actions can change at any seconds, without a good reason. Maybe, that's one of the reasons why Spy doesn't like fighting the Pyro.

The Texan nods with a smile, takes his Wrench and comes closer to the Sentry Gun, turning his back to Spy and already working on upgrading the Turret. Excellent, RED was waiting for that. Not wanting to waste time or such an opportunity, RED Spy changes the Flamethrower in his hands to the knife and looks around, making sure no one from the BLU team comes to the sentry nest or, at least, pays attention to what is happening here. 

 

The BLU Engineer is an interesting opponent, by the way. Clever, _sane_ person who constructs and maintains amazing Buildings which are _always_ useful. RED Spy can't imagine a good defense without Sentry Guns; Dispensers and Teleporters are necessary all the time. Also, the Texan's rather quickly realized what RED Spy is and became more careful around his Sentry. And no matter how much Spy doesn't want to admit it, the Engineer is smart and observant enough to tell Spy in Disguise and his teammates apart. Not all the time, of course, but it happens.

But the Engineer is interesting not only as a mercenary but also as a person. Also known as Dell Conagher; he's not the first one in his family who was hired by Blutarch Mann: his father and grandfather — Fred and Radigan Conagher — worked here before Dell. And this BLU Engineer must be as important as his ancestors were: he's one among a few who sees the Administrator and he visits her _often_. RED Spy can assume that Turret, Dispenser or Teleporter aren't Dell's best creations.

 

Excellent, they're alone, and the Engineer pays no attention to Spy-as-Pyro. RED approaches his opponent from behind, raising his hand for the attack; even though it has to be clear backstab, Spy can't help but follow the Engineer's movements as a precaution. And it's worth it: Spy jumps back just in time, avoiding the BLU Engineer's hit.

"Howdy, pardner!" the BLU smiles widely, clearly pleased with confirmation of his guess; the man holds his Wrench before him, ready for another attack. "Ya know, I don't remember Heavy usin' a Revolver or Mumbles not wantin' to talk my ear off after he killed another snake, boy."

"But of course..." Spy sighs, closing his eyes; although he speaks in his own voice, it's still a bit muffled because of the Pyro's mask. RED rises his hands in defeat, letting the knife to slip from his hand. The Engineer, whose smile becomes even wider, takes a step toward his opponent, rising the Wrench. Ah, so he's not going to use his firearms. Excellent.

Before the BLU Engineer had a chance to use his weapon, Spy takes out the Revolver one more time and shoots the Engineer in the head. Not waiting for the BLU to collapse to the ground, Spy runs to the Turret, trying to attach the Sapper as fast as he can: his disguise disappeared the second he pulled the trigger. The Sentry Gun already beeps and turns to RED Spy, ready to shoot... But the Sapper destroys the Turret before it can fire the opponent.

"...I am the only one who uses it, indeed," Spy finishes the sentence, putting the Revolver away, and picks his knife off the ground. Not looking back, RED Spy comes out to his team. "Sentry down," he announces to others. Soldier gives him a thumbs-up and runs to the control point with other teammates.

Yes, the Engineer can be an interesting opponent, but everyone makes mistakes sometimes. 

 

RED Spy cloaks one more time and continues his way to the Sniper's nest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yup, another chapter. wanna see the real plot? u have to wait a bit longer. ;P


	4. Chapter 3: 'Double Trouble' and other complicated relationships

He easily can make almost any lady fall for him.

But that time he was the one who fell in love.

 

It had to be a usual mission: find out about a target's relationships, learn about the target's family/friends/lovers, befriend them or make them fall for you, collect more information about the target from your new 'friend' or 'lover', kill the target.

 

Everything went according to plan at the beginning. The target was in a relationship, indeed; his current lover was a young woman from a south part of Boston. It took only a week to learn about her, so very soon Spy, disguised as some young man, was waiting for her to arrive at her favorite cafe.

The timing was right: Spy spent here only 13 minutes when she came by the cafe. The bartender said she comes with a man or alone; she usually leaves the cafe with her love interest, but, otherwise, one of her sons would come and take her home. And talking about sons... Can you imagine _one_ woman raising _six_ children on her own? 

So this time she was alone; she took one of the tables by the window. The target was nowhere to be seen, and it didn't look like this woman was waiting for someone. According to the waiter's words, the target and this woman were together for a long time; but their relationship was pretty complicated: they've been breaking up many times, but after days, weeks or even months they've been a couple again. And Spy knew the target good enough to understand _who_ was making this relationship complicated. 

Well, back to plan. He approached the young woman with a warm, confident smile on his face and asked if she was waiting for someone; she shook her head without a word, not in a mood for actual talking. If Spy had more time, he would just leave her alone. But he was in no position to refuse such an opportunity. 

Spy pretended not to notice the woman's unwillingness to talk and asked her if he can take a seat. She looked away, doubting about the answer; but, despite her clear uncomfortableness, she nodded. Spy's smile became even brighter (and not just because of the role he was playing), and the man took a seat, motioning for a waiter to come and starting a conversation. 

 

Her name is Sophia. 

Even though he received a lot of useful information about the target during their conversation, it was the only word on his mind. She was all he was able to think about. Everything reminded him of her. 

And he couldn't even notice that something was wrong with him. He couldn't even understand that conversation changed him so much. 

The only thing he could do was think about her. 

 

The realization hits him during their next meeting: he didn't have to put much effort in playing a lovesick man; he didn't feel disgusted with her as with other women and he actually enjoyed their conversation. He could easily get distracted from his actual goal and start asking about _her_ , about _her_ life, about _her_ family — and he could do it because he wanted to know it, not just because he had to make sure his talk about the target won't cause any suspicions. He was actually happy to notice her getting more and more comfortable around him, opening up to him like a beautiful flower, which bud opened to show its petals to sun — and not just because now she could give him more information about the target. 

And after the moment he realized _something_ had changed the only word on his mind was 'why'.

Why? Why her? It wasn't like he hadn't met a lot of women in his life; some of them were much prettier than Sophia (according to some 'common standards'), others were smarter and richer. With his skills Spy could live whatever life he wanted, with whoever he wanted. So why _she_ was the one he fell for? 

 

He wish he'd never asked that question. 

Because he found many, _too many_ answers. 

 

She had black hair, black as crow feathers, as moonless night; her curls were so soft, soft as silk, as velvet. Her eyes... One glance could make his heart flutter, his breath hitch. Her every smile she gave him was so warm, so genuine. She always laughed so hearty, so he could help but laugh as sinsere as she did; he would snort accidentally, and it would make her laugh even more. She always was so patient, so nice, so _perfect_.

Well, maybe she wasn't perfect for _everyone_ — she wasn't flirtatious as some ladies, but she wasn't simple-minded as some country girls, either. She wasn't secretive, but, still, she didn't open her heart, her soul to every stranger right away. 

She was perfect for _him_ , and that was enough. She was a beautiful flower — one of many flowers Spy's already seen —, and she opened to him like a flower shows its petals to sun. She was his _petit chou-fleur_ , his _little cauliflower_. And she was the only flower he ever needed. 

 

But there was one problem. One big problem Spy had to get rid of. 

The target. 

This person was the spy himself; valuable, skilled assassin, who was working for Organisation, but decided to leave it. He knew too much, he was too skilled, so Organisation couldn't let him be and assigned this mission to Spy. 

But now Spy other reasons to kill the target. 

Sophia was still in love with that man. 

Well, it wasn't jealously (at least Spy thought so). He knew the target didn't love Sophia and just used her for his own good. Sophia just couldn't understand it now. She honestly believed he loved her, forgetting how many times they'd already broken up. 

So Spy just _had_ to kill the target. For Sophia's and his own good. Organisation gets rid of traitors _and_ the ones, who can't complete their mission. 

 

Thanks to the information Sophia gave him, mission went surprisingly well. Very soon Spy disposed of the cold body of the target, covering every track he ever left. 

But there still was one track he had to cover. 

He had to leave Sophia. 

He had to leave her for both of their sakes. He had to return to Organisation; he had to dispose of the personality of the person he pretended to be. He had to let Sophia live her life — he was still the spy, so he couldn't happily live with family; otherwise, and he, and Sophia with her sons would be in danger. 

But... He couldn't. He just couldn't leave her without a word, just disappearing into oblivion. The target's absence would still affect her, so Spy couldn't just break her delicate heart by leaving her. 

But he couldn't play that role anymore. He couldn't lie to her, either. 

So there was only one thing he could do. 

 

He came to her in the afternoon, as usual. One of her sons — John — opened the door and went to boys' room, not saying a word, not even greetings. Despite the fact Sophia's sons tolerated him, they didn't trust him entirely. "What, gonna make us another brother and leave, huh?" Jack said the first time he met Sophia's children. Spy could only wonder what was between these boys and men Sophia's met. 

Sophia herself was in the kitchen, holding a phone and listening to the beeps on the other end with a look of genuine concern on her face. Spy waited patiently until the moment she put the phone down and turned to him; quiet sigh fell off her lips. 

"He doesn't answer anymore," she said quietly, not looking up on Spy; her voice broke. "He had to call me yesterday... Did he...did he leave me again?" 

As soon as he noticed tears in her eyes he couldn't breathe. Yes... Yes, he was definitely going to tell her the truth. About the target, about _himself_. He didn't care about Organisation at that moment. There was only Sophia. 

 

Spy asked her if they can talk privately. His serious tone didn't cheer her up, not at all; but Spy didn't think the information he was going to tell would make her happy, not at all. 

She closed the door with a key and turned to Spy; the tension was obvious in her posture. Spy closed his eyes and sighed, trying to collect his thoughts. 

 

And then he told her everything.   
He told her about the target, about Organisation, about himself. He explained detailed the whole situation. 

But that wasn't enough. 

He let his disguise disappear. But, still, that wasn't it. So he said her his true name and took his balaclava off, showing her his face. 

After that he just stood still; his eyes were close, and the man himself panted, as if he was running the whole time. He felt himself so vulnerable, so miserable... But he waited. Waited for Organisation to appear and kill him, or for Sophia to do the same. He didn't think something else could happen after everything he did and said. 

 

But he didn't die. Instead, he heard Sophia's quiet sob. But of course, what else he could expect? He used Sophia, just the way the target did... 

But Spy couldn't bear it anymore. He did everything he wanted to, so he just turned to the door, intending to leave. He killed the target. He accomplished his mission, but, more importantly, he saved Sophia from that man. Maybe, it would be better if she was going to hate him. Any kind of relationship would interfere his work, and this work meant everything to Spy. So he--... 

"Can you... Can you come tomorrow?" Sophia said. Her voice was so quiet, so weak... Spy's heart involuntarily sank at this sound. "I don't think I can talk about... _it_ today. Please?" 

He didn't wait anymore. He quickly unlocked the door, putting on his balaclava and using his last disguise, and headed off to the exit, almost running into one of Sophia's sons. He didn't even spare him a glance and didn't notice the strange look he gave the man. Spy had only one goal at that moment — leave this house, leave _Sophia_. 

 

But, just as Sophia asked, he came the next day. He was expecting the worst, but, instead of that, they talked. They just talked. 

She was still upset; he was able to see it in her features, in her eyes, in her movements... She couldn't look at him, averting her eyes every time their eyes met. 

But they talked. First of all, she asked him to show his real face again. After that she started asking questions about him, about his family, about his life; it looked like it was _her_ turn to learn everything about _him_. 

And Spy answered all of her questions. Maybe, it was the first time he ever talked so much in his life, as if he didn't tell her everything yesterday. But this time she didn't want to know about his job or Organisation. And Spy was glad to give her all the information she wanted. 

 

And they spent not one, but many evenings that way. They would make themselves some tea, would lock themselves in the living room and would talk till late night. 

And it was the first time Spy couldn't actually tell what was on woman's mind. He knew she didn't trust him; at least, not as much as earlier. She didn't show any contempt toward him, no; but she didn't show any affection, neither. She would be nice to him, but Spy didn't know _why_. What did she actually want? Why did she still talk to him? 

 

But one day it started to change. 

That day she laughed. 

For the first time in a long time, she actually laughed at the joke he accidentally made. 

This laugh was just as Spy remembered it. Warm and genuine. And he couldn't help but laugh too — but he did it because relief washed over him. Why did it feel like the target died not weeks, but years ago? 

And, just as always, Spy accidently snorted when he laughed. He didn't know why that happened all the time. But that happened, and Sophia started laughing even lauder. 

Then Spy snorted again (and he couldn't tell if he did it accidentally or on purpose that time). Sophia, still laughing, hugged him and started talking again. 

And at that moment Spy realized what was on her mind all the time. If those feelings were only hinted in her voice before, now they were obvious. 

She was still upset about the target's death. She _loved_ him, even if he didn't love her back. But at the same time she was grateful for what Spy did: she understood the target wasn't as good as she'd like to believe. 

But there was something else. 

She liked Spy. 

And that's why she asked him to come back. 

Spy, hardly able to hold the tears of happiness, hugged her back. 

 

He didn't have to leave that night: Sophia asked him to stay. Even though they slept in the same room, in the same bed (boys gave them strange looks when they headed to the bedroom together), there was no romantic relationship between them. Yes, they could touch each other's hands, they could hug and do other little things, but that was it. Nothing more. 

But it changed over time, of course. They both knew they had more than usual platonic feelings towards each other, but they didn't rush things. They just let it happen, so in a month they do more things then just sleep or talk in the bed. Ah, such a beautiful experience. 

But it wasn't the only relationship that improved. Spy spent a lot of time with Sophia's boys — they were still her sons —, but it was much, much harder to get along with them. Boys, remembering Sophia's other men, didn't trust him, thinking he was going to "make them a brother and leave".

They had no idea how wrong they were...

Because some months later Sophia gave life to not one, but two boys. 

 

It was Spy's first _real_ relationship, and he had two sons. Well, he'd already befriended some of Sophia's boys, but this... This was different. Jeremy and James were newborns and they were _his_ sons. They were a part of him and Sophia; they were their new bound. 

And, _of course_ , Organisation _had_ to assign him a new mission. 

 

Spy didn't want to be a spy anymore. He had family he loved, had his own children and was _happy_ for the first time in his life. 

But he had to leave, had to accomplish this and others missions. Otherwise Organisation would send a person to kill Spy — the same way he killed the target. 

But there'd be a difference. This time Spy wouldn't be the only one in danger. 

Sophia and their boys can be harmed as well. 

 

Thankfully, she understood that. She was still upset about the news, but they made a promise to keep each other updated. He also promised to visit them as often as he could. 

And then he left. 

He felt bad about not telling the boys the truth; he felt bad about leaving them at all. But he could only hope that one day he'd be able to face them without his disguise. 

 

And life went on. Spy was completing one mission after another, doing his best not to rise any suspicions about his life — Organisation didn't welcome any kind of relationships. 

But, still, Spy was able to visit his family. Sometimes he came here only for a day, but other times he could spend here a whole month or more. In the same time, he had to use different disguises all the time — the only way to get away from Organisation and its spies. And he felt bad about poor boys because of it. They all — especially James and Jeremy — needed a good father, who would be with them all the time. But Spy couldn't even be a normal father because of Organisation, mission and the need to use disguise around the boys. He tried to give them all the love and attention he could, but that wasn't it. 

So then he decided to dissappear from sons' life. He still visited Sophia, he was still looking after boys, he was still helping them, but Sophia was the only one who could see him. And that was enough. 

 

Almost twenty years passed that way. The boys've grown up, but most of them stayed with their mother, helping her. Spy himself was still visiting them, but he was doing it less and less: the boys could take care of everything easily, and Organisation gave him missions all the time — he was a good spy, after all. 

But everything changed one day. 

Sophia got sick. 

 

It wasn't kind of disease they could cure. Money wasn't the problem — no doctor, no one could help her. 

She was going to die. Slow and painful. 

And this time Spy wasn't able to save her. He was just useless. 

Sophia tried to assure him and her boys that everything will be fine. But they all knew the truth. 

And that scared Spy. 

Until the day one young lady came to him. 

 

Spy didn't know how she find him. He didn't know how she found out about his disguise. But she said she knew how to help Sophia. And she needed Spy to work for her organisation. 

Conditions were favorable. She said Organisation won't bother him anymore. She said her organisation will find the best doctors to help Sophia. She said he will get so much money so he won't worry about finances for the rest of his life. But this job will take ten years of his life. 

But, at the same time, it meant Sophia will recover. Spy had no idea how they wanted to cure cancer, but he wanted to believe them. He wanted Sophia to live. 

And that's why he accepted that request. Ten years... Of what, exactly? Of murdering...the same nine people? 

Strange, very strange. But if he wanted to help Sophia, he had to do that. And killing people wasn't so hard — he was the spy, after all. 

 

And that's how he became not just a spy, but the RED Spy; that's how joined the team of eight other mercenaries. 

And that's how he met both Scouts — _Jeremy and James_ — _again_. 

 

He still remembers it. He remembers how happy Sophia was when she was talking about it. "Oh, James found a job! A good one, as he said. Oh, but you know what else happened? My little Jeremy went to college!" she said. "They have to leave, but I'm so proud of them," she said. And he believed in her words.

Until the moment he saw Jeremy in the RED team's kitchen. 

The boy was standing here, talking to some man in yellow hardhat — who does wear such a thing inside? — and a person in a suit and a gas mask. Did he... Did he even understand what is going to happen here? Did he understand he was going to spend here _ten years_? And yes, Spy had to check what kind of job James got. 

"Yo, why are ya just standin' here?" Jeremy — _RED Scout_ finally noticed him. The boy gave him a critical look, but then waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, don't answer, I already know. Just look at your mask--..." 

"It called 'balaclava', boy," the man in hardhat corrected him with a small smile on his face. 

"...Only a spy would wear one!" Scout finished, pretending not to notice the man's words. 

Even if Spy planned to meet his sons _normally_ , without disguise or anything, he didn't want it to happen _that_ way. 

 

But he still doesn't know what is worse: pretending not to look out for your son who works in a team of nine mercenaries and fights other nine mercenaries every day, sometimes even getting killed, or pretending not to look out for your son who does the same, but also fights _you_. 

But, at least, James and Jeremy don't know him. They have no idea their own father sees them everyday, fights with or against them. 

But they know each other. And that's the biggest problem. 

Spy can still remember their first fight. It was...loud. Scouts' yells like "What the _fuck_ are you doin' here?", "I can ask you the same question!" and their pained hisses or even dying screams are still in Spy's memory. 

But the worst thing was their relationship. They couldn't believe that his own brother's become a mercenary, forgetting that they were mercenaries themselves. And they had (and still have) to fight each other, _kill_ each other everyday... No wonder why they hated each other at the beginning; they were even forgetting about their teams: they would leave their teammates, find each other and fight until the moment someone of them dies. Spy doesn't know how long it would last if teams wouldn't take care of it. In RED Scout's case it was RED Engineer, who found the boy, made him listen and talked to him. It was a long talk, yes; Spy doesn't know what exactly Engineer's said, but Jeremy _listened_ to him — during their next match he tried to _apologize_ to his brother. There's even more: RED Scout started trusting Engineer and even spending time in the man's company. But back to the point.

Thanks to both teams' help Scouts were able to settle all of their disagreements, even though it took a lot of time. At least, now they can talk normally after matches and even spend time together like real brothers. 

 

But they're not the only ones who had come to agreement after a long fight. 

Because both teams still remember WAR! 

 

Tavish DeGroot and Jane Doe were friends. Even though their teams didn't know that, it wasn't hard for Spy to find it out; he can even assume that the BLU Spy knows it, too. 

They were friends, yes, but it didn't affect their fights. Despite the fact they tried to avoid each other on the battlefield, they were still doing great job during matches, even killing each other if they had to. It's not like any of their teammates were paying attention to their facial expressions, so they two were doing a good job of hiding their relationship. 

But Administrator noticed. 

And she didn't like it. 

Was it because of them being members of opposing team? Was it because of them being in a relationship? Spy didn't know. And it didn't actually matter at that time. 

 

And then WAR! started. It took Spy some time to learn what was the real point of it. Since DeGroot and Doe were the only ones who had changed after WAR!'s beginning, Spy spent more time around them, trying to find out the reasons of those changes. 

And he found them. 

 

Both RED Demoman and BLU Soldier thought the other's betrayed them for some weapons; in the same time, they both were using these new weapons. There's no doubt that Ms. Pauling or Administrator herself were involved — Spy cannot see the other reason for such misunderstandings. 

But nothing more had changed for some time. Demoman and Soldier were still hating each other; it even looked like their mutual hate was getting stronger and stronger every day. Spy could see how this whole situation affected DeGroot: clearly depressed, he hadn't spent any of his free time with the team, locking in his room instead. 

 

It took them some time and unpleasant accidents to sort things out and come to the agreement. Even though it happened after WAR!'s end and the BLU Soldier's win, it's better than nothing. They two are friends again; but this time they did their best to hide their relationship. 

 

Anyways, back to reality. While heading to the BLU Sniper's nest, RED Spy tries to avoid damage from the BLU Soldier's rockets — this man is a fan of rocket-jumping, so, knowing his unpredictability, it's always dangerous to get close if you act slow. But this time Spy manages to pass the Soldier without any difficulties and continues his way to the Sniper.

And he is already close to his target.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... i hope the real story will start in the next chapter. and i hope my hc about Scout's Mother won't bother anyone. ;-;

**Author's Note:**

> If you see any mistakes or typos, please notify me. Thank you.
> 
> Do you want to know what is this? I have no idea. Looks like some stupid 16-years old kid (yup, that's me) is trying to write their first fic (and English isn't their native language). So, if you see _any_ mistakes, please tell me. It'll help me improve my language and/or writing skills.
> 
> And if you want to play TF2 with me...I'll appreciate it...


End file.
